Two members of Russian protest group Pussy Riot have been left with chemical burns and head injuries after they were attacked by a group of men wearing patriotic symbols.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina were in the city of Nizhny Novgorod in the west of Russia to visit a local jail with members of their prisoners right group.

They were set upon while eating breakfast in a McDonalds restaurant.

The men, who were wearing St George ribbons which commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, used pepper spray and poured rubbish and green antiseptic over them.

The women have blamed local police for being involved in the attack. Police said they were investigating the case and refused to comment on the allegations.

Pussy Riot became known around the world after they were jailed for performing a protest song against President Putin in a Moscow cathedral. They were freed in December 2013 as part of a government amnesty.